


A crash into love

by violetbear



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Children, First Meetings, M/M, Mild Blood, Minor Injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-03-03
Packaged: 2021-02-22 22:09:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23001178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetbear/pseuds/violetbear
Summary: A toddler Scott escapes to find a present for Ellen. He bumps into his future love instead.
Relationships: Male Ryder | Scott/Reyes Vidal
Comments: 1
Kudos: 44





	A crash into love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [trajektoria](https://archiveofourown.org/users/trajektoria/gifts).



> For the amazing Trajektoria. For the thoughtful comments on my stories and because this story idea wouldn't have occurred to me if I hadn't reread their red thread of fate series.

He peeked down the hallway. He could still hear mom talking to Sara. He had to move. Sara couldn't distract her forever. He wheeled mom's office chair over to the door and climbed onto it. Standing up, he was able to activated the motion sensor and the door slid open. He jumped down and ran out the door just before it closed.

Yes! It worked! Now to get away from the apartments before anyone saw him and took him home. He hurried away from the apartments onto the presidium. So shiny. He darted behind a planter as a man in alliance blues looked his way. Most people stationed here knew him and Sara. At least well enough to recognize them. If they saw him without mom, they'd grab him and take him home. If only what he wanted wasn't on the presidium. But it was and he'd promised Sara.

Running between planters, he managed to reach the bridge across the lake. So close. Now he just had to... Looking around the planter he was hiding behind, he saw Alec crossing the bridge toward him. Oh, no. No matter how well he hid, his dad always knew he was there. Which was kind of cool but also really annoying. Especially now when he was so close to his goal. Looking behind him he noticed a small hallway. He run for it, watching behind him, until he ran right into something solid and ended up on his behind.

"What the-" The man he ran into spun around. No, not a man. A kid. Older than him by a lot but definitely not an adult. "What's a baby doing running around here?"  
"Not a baby." He got to his feet, glaring at the kid. His arm kind of hurt but he couldn't cry. Not if he didnt want the kid to think he was a baby. "I'm three." The kid crouched down after looking past him. Now that he was on his level, he studied him. Dark hair, golden eyes, skin three or four shades darker then his. His clothes were not new. They were patched and dirty in spots. "Who are you?"

"My day sure took a turn", the kid chuckled. "Now I'm being interrogated by a pampered presidium toddler."  
"Not pampered."  
"Didnt anyone teach you not to talk to strangers? Where are your parents? You're too clean to be a orphan."  
"I sneak out." He heard his dad's voice right beside the hallway. He hurried behind the kid. "Hide."  
"From who? The attache?"  
"My dad. Hide or I in trouble."

He grabbed the kid's hand to drag him further down the hallway when the kid hissed in pain.  
"Not that hand, baby. Oh, screw it. I'm already in shit. Come on." The kid grabbed his hand and ran with him to a open maintenance corridor. "Get in. Quick."  
He shouldn't. Mom and dad were always warning them about not entering the tunnels. They could get so lost that no one would ever find them. But this kid seemed to know his way around. He hurried in and the kid entered behind him, closing the door. "Now stay quiet. We're not supposed to be here."  
"Okay", he whispered. 

The kid studied the palm of his hand.  
"Shit. Now im bleeding again."  
"Bad word."  
"For babies like you, yes."  
"Not a baby. I three." And he could do something about bleeding. He took his backpack off and started looking through it.  
"You looking for a snack, baby?"  
"Not a baby. I'm Scott." Change of clothes, a book, snacks. Ooo, a juice box. He dug it out and handed it to the kid before resuming his search.  
"Reyes. What are you looking for?"

"This." He pulled out the mini first aid case and opened it. "Let me see your hand."  
"Seriously? I can do it myself."  
He looked at Reyes, trying to replicate the look mom gave them when they wouldn't listen. It must have worked because Reyes sighed and showed him his hand. The shallow cut across his palm was already half scabbed over. But he'd use medi-gel anyway. Just in case. He handed the packet to Reyes.

"Open."  
"Thought you could handle it?" He gave Reyes the look again. He chuckled before opening the packet and handing it back. "So you snuck out, huh?"  
"Yep." He squeezed the medi-gel onto the cut. "Sara helped."  
"And Sara is?"  
"My older sister." He placed a bandage over the medi-gel. "Almost done."

"Older by how much?" Reyes held the bandage in place as he round gauze around his hand.  
"A minute."  
"You mean she's your twin sister. A minute isn't much difference."  
"A minute's forever." He examined his work. Did he need anything else?  
"To someone your age. Believe me, when you get older a minute will be nothing."  
"But Sara says she's older so she's the boss." Oh, right. He kissed the bandage. "All done."

"Thanks." Reyes cleared his throat. "Couldn't have done better myself. Is that why you're out here and she was the distraction?" He held out the juice box. "Here."  
"It for you." He put the first aid kit back in his backpack and pulled out a baggie. "And this", he said, holding it out towards Reyes. Whenever he or Sara got hurt, they got a treat after if they didnt fuss too much when mom or the doctor fixed it. It never occurred to Scott that Reyes's life was any different. 

"And that is", Reyes asked, putting the juice box in a pocket and taking the baggie before putting it in another pocket.  
"Cookies. See if dad out there?"  
"Sure. How can I say no after what you've done." Reyes opened the door and peeked out. "All clear. So what were you doing anyway?"

"Present for mom. Pretty flower in planter by bridge. A big purple one."  
"I know the one you mean. Stay here. I'll grab it for you."  
"But." He was gone, the door closing behind him. "Stuck now. Bad." He sat down. "Be back soon. Hope Fully." It seemed ages before the door was sliding open to reveal Reyes standing on the other side. "You left me."

"For good reason." Reyes pulled a wrapped something out of yet another pocket and handed it to him. "Here."  
He unwrapped it to see the flower.  
"Yay. Thank you." He wrapped it back up and went to put it in his backpack before he stopped. "Oh. Your cloth."  
"Keep it. I have more."  
"Okay." He put it in his backpack and zipped it up, placing it onto his back when he was done. "Thank you."

"No problem. You're a cute kid. More sheltered then I ever was but cute."  
"I like you." Reyes laughed.  
"You're a little young yet. Come find me in about twenty years. Okay?"  
"Long time."  
"Yep. But it will just fly by if you dont pay attention. And speaking of, you should get home. Bet your mother's worried."  
"Sara distracting her."  
"Still." Reyes guided him out of the tunnel and started walking down the hallway with him. "And tell Sara she's not the boss of you. A minute's nothing. Okay?"  
"Okay."

"Good. Now get out of here."  
"See you again?"  
"Maybe. One day. Go home, Scott. Your mom's waiting."  
"Bye." He waved before running off. He turned back around when he'd only gone past one planter to see Reyes was gone. "See you again. One day." He turned and ran the rest of the way home.

**************

"I think this is my favorite scar of yours." He ran a finger across Reyes's palm. Reyes tilted his head up and kissed him.  
"Seems another lifetime since I got it. Since a pampered little baby helped me out."  
"Wasn't pampered or a baby."  
"Hmm mmm. I remember. Twenty years flew by, didnt it?"  
"Give or take 600."


End file.
